Long before players got to experienceFinal Fantasyin 3D with the series entry that popularized JRPGs in the West, the very first next-genFinal Fantasywasreleased on the Super Famicom and Super Nintendo.Final Fantasy 4marked the legendary RPG’s first foray into 16-bit and set a new bar for the series moving forward. In addition to the ways that the game pushed the envelope regarding the emotional impact and gravity that a video game story could carry,Final Fantasy 4featured a revolutionary battle system and mechanics that changed the RPG landscape in its wake.
With the first three titles in theFinal Fantasyseries released on the NES and Famicom,Final Fantasy 4bore the unique position of bringing the series into the fourth generation of console hardware and established a high bar of quality that would only be surpassed by the final 16-bit entry in the franchise. The game also acted as a sequel of sorts for fans in the West as the first title to make it stateside after the NES original. Now, theupcoming release ofFinal Fantasy 16is a clean break that warrants a look back at the original ‘next-gen’Final Fantasy.
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Final Fantasy 4 Set the Gold Standard for the Series’ Narratives
The originalFinal Fantasyintroduced players to the Warriors of Light—four blank-slate characters upon whom the player could imprint their own classes and names. While there was a story present in the originalFinal Fantasy, it was threadbare and told primarily through conversations with NPCs.Final Fantasy 2introduced the series' first named protagonistsand ancillary characters, but the third game in the series brought back the blank-slate approach to its heroes despite having a fleshed-out main story.
Final Fantasy 4established a new bar of quality for the series. Centered aroundFinal Fantasy 4’s Dark Knight Ceciland his creeping doubts regarding his place in the world, the story ofFinal Fantasy 4literally takes players to the Moon and back. The rivalry between Cecil and his best friend Kain, Kain’s jealousy of Cecil and his unrequited love for Rosa, and the shocking revelation that the game’s primary antagonist is actually the hero’s long-lost older brother are just some of the plot threads in a narrative that represents some of the best soap opera-esque drama of any JRPG. More importantly, the complex and multi-layered narrative ofFinal Fantasy 4established the series as one where the story was as important as gameplay.
The Active Time Battle System Changed RPGs Moving Forward
In addition to its excellent narrative that raised the bar of quality forFinal Fantasyand other RPG series,Final Fantasy 4also featured the Active Time Battle System– the first in the series to receive its own name. Designed by now-legendary battle programmer Hiroyuki Ito, the ATB System was a radical change from what had been used in other contemporary RPGs up untilFinal Fantasy 4’s development and release.
Instead of each character and enemy taking turns in a predetermined order based on speed stats, enemies could now attack while players made decisions in the turn-based menus, adding an element of tension to turn-based combat that didn’t exist previously. The system proved to be so popular that it was adopted by everyFinal Fantasymoving forward until the changes implemented inFinal Fantasy 12(which also happened to be directed by Hiroyuki Ito).
For many longtime RPG fans in the West,Final Fantasy 4was their first true love after being introduced to the genre with the great early works of Square and Enix in the originalFinal FantasyandDragon Warriortitles respectively. WithFinal Fantasy 16seeking to shake up series traditionsyet again, it’s hard to not see a little bit ofFinal Fantasy 4’s spirit carrying over into the future of the franchise.
Final Fantasy 4is part of theFinal Fantasy Pixel Remasterseries and is available on PC, PS4, and Switch.
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